7/22/2009

Shapla or Water Lily, the national flower of Bangladesh

Shapla or Water Lily is an aquatic plant of the genus Nymphaea which has large, disk-like, floating leaves and showy flowers.

There are about 50 species growing in different countries. In Bangladesh there are two species: N. nouchali (blue variety) and N. pubescens (white variety).

Both species grow abundantly as a mixed population in almost all shallow natural waterbodies, but the latter is more frequent and popular in Bangladesh and has been designated as the national flower.

Water lilyAnother species, N. rubra, is often cultivated in ponds and tanks as an ornamental plant.

Each plant produces several solitary flowers with long peduncles and blooms above the water surface.

It is seen in abundance in the monsoon season. The peduncle is a popular vegetable to villagers; the tuberous rhizomes are also eaten. Seeds on frying are eaten as puffed-grains in some places.

The giant water lily or Amazon water lily (Victoria amazonica) is occasionally grown in some gardens for its enormous (about 2m in diametre) orbicular floating leaves.(From Banglapedia, National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh)

Shapla SquareShapla Square monument in DhakaShapla Square (Bengali: Shapla Chottor) is a huge sculpture at the heart of Motijheel near the center of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh.

It depicts a Shapla (water lily), the national flower of Bangladesh. The sculpture is surrounded by a fountain.

The location also marks a mass grave of Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.

(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Coat of arms of BangladeshThe National Emblem of Bangladesh was adopted shortly after independence in 1971.Located on the emblem is a shapla or water lily, that is bordered on two sides by rice sheaves. Above the water lilly are four stars and a three connected jute leaves.

The water lily is the country's national flower, and is representative of the many rivers that run through Bangladesh.

Rice represents its presence as the staple food of Bangladesh, and for the agriculture of that nation.

The four stars represent the four founding principles that were originally enshrined in the first constitution of Bangladesh in 1972: nationalism, secularism, socialism, and democracy.

Rony Akther, BCII President and Founder, had the pleasure to shake hands with great Muhammad Yunus.
Muhammad Yunus - Bangladeshi, 2006 Peace Nobel Price, creator of the "microcredit system" and founder of the "Grameen Bank" (The Bank of the Village, in Bengali language) - and Rony Akther met in Rome in 2009.
Yunus congratulated BCII President on the important idea to create a Bangladesh Cutural Institute in Italy and on the BCII activity.
Furthermore, he wished BCII activity during 2008 and a reach future for the Institute, after to enquire about BCII next activities and projects.
For Rony Akther it was a very great honour to receive such an appreciation by a renowned celebrity like Muhammad Yunus!

Bangladesh Cultural Institute of Italy (B.C.I.I.) is an ONLUS ( a non-profit-making organization) whose purpose is to promote the Bangladeshi culture and language in Italy.
B.C.I.I. aims to be a point of reference for the “Second Generation”, children of Bangladeshi immigrants in Italy, in order to let them to benefit from the cultural heritage of their ancestors, even if they were born, they grow up and they live in Italy.
In fact to go into the Bangladeshi cultural heritage thoroughly is very difficult when people live far from the one’s place of origin.
B.C.I.I. originated from a Rony Akther’s project. Rony and many other representatives of the Bangladeshi intelligentsia in Italy want to support a new Italian identity, so that it can be more and more intercultural.
Established on the 1rst September 2007, in Rome, B.C.I.I. started his activity in occasion of the Boishakhi Mela 1415, the Bangladeshi New Year’s Day festival, who took place on April 2008 in Rome.
To promote Bangladeshi language and culture, B.C.I.I. organizes all year round countless events and manifestations, as literary meetings to spare the knowledge of important Bangladeshi personalities, writers, intellectuals.
Then, B.C.I.I. aims to support too the work of Bangladeshi artists as musicians, dancers. The purpose of B.C.I.I. is to make known the musical tradition of Bangladesh and the use of traditional musical instruments, as tablā, harmonium e and sitar.
Furthermore, B.C.I.I. aspires to be a guide for the discovery of the surprising Bangladeshi cookery, with tasting of traditional flavours and dishes, as byriani rice, paesh sweet or gilapi pancakes.
Finally, B.C.I.I. is involved too in the promotion of the local Bangladeshi handicrafts, as the sumptuous silk used to make shari typical dresses or ruby jewels.
Rony Akther, BCII President and Founder, is a Probad Purush (presenter and speaker on the stage), of the Bangladeshi Culture.
He lives in Italy frome almost 15 years. He has a very great love for the stage, but also for the philosophy.
Graduate in Political Science, he started going everywhere, in Italy and also abroad, to spread the Bangladeshi Culture and Language. The creation of the BCII in 2007, in Itay, is the last but not the least project he achieved.